Danger warning when fishing near high voltage grids

On May 10, 2020, Le Huu Trac National Burn Hospital collected and treated pediatric patient Le Huy Thai H., male, 14 years old, hometown: Rung Thong Town, Dong Son, Thanh Hoa. Around 9am on May 10, 2020, I was fishing under a high-voltage power line, while throwing a fishing rod to pull fish, I got caught in a high-voltage wire, which was discharged causing burns. After the accident, he fell unconscious, was given first aid by people around, and regained consciousness 5 minutes later. After that, he was given emergency treatment at Thanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital with: Infusion, pain relief, necrotic incision to release compression,....

The patient was transferred to Le Huu Trac National Burn Hospital on the 5th hour after the burn with the diagnosis: High-voltage burns of 10% (9%) grade III, IV, V right arm, two legs; severe burn shock, in place: 10% (9%) degree III, IV, V burn damage on the right hand and two legs. Burn damage in the right hand, two feet to the muscles, bones, blood vessels, not able to preserve.

The patient received intensive treatment, fluid resuscitation against shock, prevention of renal failure, additional necrotic incision to release compression, maintenance of sedation and pain relief,....

We conducted a consultation and performed amputation of the lower third of the right arm; remove necrotic toes.

Pediatric patient after amputation of the lower third of the right arm (May 11, 2020)

The above pediatric patient is one of many cases of burn accidents related to fishing under high voltage lines that are annually treated by Le Huu Trac National Burn Hospital, many of which have died. These accidents are very tragic, leaving great pain and loss for patients and their families. There have been dozens of articles warning about the unpredictable dangers of fishing under high-voltage power lines, but people still defy it and accidents continue to happen.

In the past, fishing rods were usually made of dry bamboo. Currently, through our research, fishing rods are all made of carbon, fiberglass or mixed with metal - all of which are very good conductors of electricity. The yarn is also made of nylon material, very tough, durable and strong, also a conductive material. People often think that such high power lines will not cause danger, so they do not mind fishing. But in fact, the danger is hanging over the head, just a jerking movement can connect the high voltage to the lake through the angler. Especially, the power line through the river area has high humidity, so the resistance is reduced, the conductivity is higher than in other areas. When the fish bites, jerks or throws the fishing rod, it will get entangled in the electric grid, immediately the angler will be discharged. The angler can hold the rod with one or two hands, this is the entry point for the current. One or two feet are usually the outlet of the current, the toes are very vulnerable. The entry and exit points of the current are places on the body that are severely damaged by the current. When electric current passes through the body, it will cause damage in two ways:

- For the whole body: under the stimulation of electric current will cause circulatory and respiratory arrest, also known as electric shock. If first aid is not given in time, the victim will die.

- In situ, electric current will destroy tissue by two mechanisms: electrical energy converts into heat, causing damage and tissue destruction as soon as it passes through at different levels. Indirect damage, caused by electric current, damages blood vessel and nerve cells where the current touches and passes through. These blood vessels are gradually destroyed, causing occlusion of the vessels supplying the limbs and organs, leading to necrosis of the limbs and tissues, depending on the contact time and the intensity of the current flowing through.

A few things to note

Fishing is not wrong, but you must know where to fish to ensure the safety of yourself and those around you. In addition to putting up signs prohibiting fishing in dangerous areas, the most important thing is to propagate and disseminate knowledge about electrical safety to the people. People must be aware of dangerous places, safe distances to power lines and how to handle electrical discharges.

The knowledge with anglers is extremely important, the selection of fishing area should always be kept in mind. The anglers should observe the location in advance, if there is a power line, they should switch to another fishing place. Especially where there is a high-voltage wire, it is even more dangerous, the fishing rod line accidentally entering the magnetic field of the high-voltage wire also causes electrical discharge, dangerous to life. Especially children under 16 years old do not go fishing alone, adult supervision is required.

It is necessary to propagate, educate and widely disseminate the risk of electric burns and first aid methods in the community, especially in rural and mountainous areas, by widely propagandizing on the mass media and transmitting information. pictures, radio, newspapers, pictures, leaflets, posters. When a fault occurs, the detector must cut off the current at the switches at the power poles. If the switch is not found, quickly remove the victim from the accident site to a clean place. Absolutely do not splash water on the victim; In case the victim is unconscious, first aid such as artificial respiration, cardiac compression, fixation of broken bones, etc. must be performed and immediately taken to the nearest medical facility.

News, photos: Le Duc Man, Ho Thi Van Anh